


Breathe Again

by Ipodsandstars



Series: 100 Themes Challenge [10]
Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Brief mentions of abuse so I made it teens and up just to be safe, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Feels, F/M, brief mentions of General Ross, brief mentions of blood and abuse, general asshat, general ross is general asshat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 13:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1984419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ipodsandstars/pseuds/Ipodsandstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>General Ross just doesn't know when to quit and it pissed Darcy off</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe Again

**Author's Note:**

> I really struggled with this damn prompt XD

10\. Breathe Again  
Summary: General Ross just didn’t know when to quit. Darcy rectifies that and sets Bruce free

What do you do when a psychotic army general who has been hunting Bruce Banner for years, kidnaps him in one desperate, last attempt for power? You rescue him of course.  
What do you do when you’re the kidnapped scientist’s girlfriend, one Darcy Lewis?  
You fight and bring your boyfriend home and in the end you're torn between being pissed off and being scared out of your wits ends.  
They had found Bruce strapped to a table as General Ross tried to experiment on him – planning to extract the Hulk. Ross and his team tried for five hours straight to extract the Hulk from Bruce, they tried everything but they couldn’t find a way to make it work – Hulk was still residing in Bruce, which was actually a good thing considering the only one who really knew how to control the Other Guy was Bruce himself and it was his burden he’d always have to carry.

They tried for five hours before resorting to abuse and torture, when the Avengers (mostly lead by Tony) had finally found where they were holding him. It was Tony who brought Darcy along (though Darcy was going to come along anyway, whether they liked it or not.) and it was Darcy who found the broken man they were looking for and they could tell by Darcy’s high pitched screams at the state of Bruce, followed by Tony easily knocking old man Ross and his goons unconscious.

Bruce was bruised and bloodied, it seemed he’d managed to keep the Hulk at bay – it seemed like he was used to torture and abuse and then Darcy remembered that he was. Along with herself, Darcy remembered reading the abuse files of Bruce. How bad it was, how far back it extended… Bruce had one hell of a bad life and he had never really known love or had much love in his life, till Darcy came walking into his life.  
Bruce looked badly broken and Darcy rushed over to him when the fighting was over and she was whimpering, her whimpers matching his.  
His white lab coat that was now tattered and torn had so much of Bruce’s own blood on it; it looked like Bruce had been in a warzone. Considering the circumstances, he technically had been – a war with his own mind and body.

Natasha and Clint were the ones who disposed of Ross and his goons, throwing them in a SHIELD van that had come with them for the exact reason that this was the final straw – Ross had to be stopped, that was an order from Director Phil Coulson himself. Ross would face justice and severe punishment from government officials for what they had done to Bruce over the years, maybe now they’d finally act over it instead of watching from the literally bloody sidelines turning a blind eye and acting like it never happened.

Darcy and Tony were the ones pissed off the most about it all – how could somebody let this happen to Bruce? It was so cold hearted and sick. Darcy had wished she’d kicked Ross in the balls and ranted at Ross for what he was doing, not like it would change anything. She hoped she might get the chance to do it later, it wouldn’t changed much but it would let Darcy let some anger out on the dick who had hurt her boyfriend and was acting like some stalker on a Justin Bieber and his fans scale – Death threats and failed attempts at plans, failed plans and failed hopes and dreams with Ross viewing himself as superior above everyone else and wouldn’t stop until he got what he want and threw a tantrum if he didn’t get it.

For now, Darcy was focusing on Bruce. Her Bruce.

The scientist felt like he couldn’t breathe as the drugs they’d given him had started to wear off and he fought against his chains – he had forgotten where he was, all he knew was that he was in chains and he was too weak to open his eyes because everything hurt and he felt like he was dying. He froze when Darcy kissed his forehead, it took all of his remaining strength to open his eyes and Bruce’s breathing worsened as he panicked even more – Darcy. Darcy was here, so was Tony... everyone was here apparently. All their voices mashed together and swam round his head… everyone except Darcy was a blurred dot of different colours mashed together. He found himself staring up at his girlfriend, wondering if she was actually really there or not.

“D-Darcy?” he whispered incredulously and hyperventilating as he struggled to regulate his breathing. “Oh god, I’m dead. I’m dead, aren’t I?”

Darcy laughs a broken laugh and the next minute she’s sobbing her heart out. She can’t get the metal chains off Bruce so she gets Thor to help her and it’s the thunder god who responds to Bruce for Darcy.

“No, Banner. You are a strong warrior, my friend.” His voice boomed loudly round the room and Darcy knew they'd still have to work on his ‘indoor voice’.

“We’re going to get you home, Bruce. You're safe now.” Steve called out to him, walking over to see the man for himself…the torture... Was it as bad as or worse than Bucky went through? He did not know.

“No- No! You- You can’t be here!” Bruce cried out and tried to move, sliding off the table he had been strapped to that was positioned upright against the wall, he slumped forwards as his legs gave way but Thor caught him, Darcy had tried to catch him, but DAMN her boyfriend was heavy.

“Holy hell, Bruce. How much do you weigh?” she asked as she struggled to push him upright. Tony stepped in to help support Darcy as Thor went with Steve to make sure nobody else was around the vicinity apart from those inside with Bruce. Darcy wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and found that when she did, his erratic breathing relaxed. The poor sod could hardly stand, leaning more on Tony than Darcy.

Bruce never really felt like he could breathe again, he was still getting used to being back in the safe hands of his family - his friends and Darcy. He often woke up to his own screams and Darcy would instantly be by his side, holding him as he shook and his skin took on a green tint only for him to take control . He was pathetic, even when Darcy told him he wasn’t.

It took him what must have been 3 months to feel like he could breathe again and only because he had a sense of freedom now, like things were getting better and they were. Especially when General Ross was finally, after so many god damn years, he was thrown into a top secret government mental asylum. His nightmare was finally over, he could have a life now, he could breathe again, Darcy could breathe again, his family and friends now had nothing to worry about, regarding Bruce and his past with Ross – he’d been set free and could not longer worry about the main problem in his life.

Maybe now he could… he could have a life, a proper life and start one with Darcy – maybe they could be together with nothing to stop them. Bruce smiled; he liked the sound of that. He could maybe even... have a family of his own.  
He was brought out of his daydream by Darcy who squeezed his hands softly and grinned as they walked out of SHIELD headquaters. Bruce had watched the court case from there for his own safety (but also because of the Other Guy) and he couldn't help but cry when Darcy testified for him, alongside Tony. The entire world was on them and they'd managed to get General Ross the verdict he deserved, the evidence was all in the SHIELD files that Natasha had made public. Nothing was Bruce's fault - it was Ross who had caused Bruce all this grief and now he was free!

Now the entire world knew Bruce's story... Oh god, the paparazzi. Bruce just hoped Tony could sort them out... without being too much of an ass

“So, Doctor Fluffy. What do you plan to do now that your past is behind you?” Darcy asks  
Bruce smirked and looked across the road where Tony was waiting for them, he spun round and took Darcy by the hands.  
“I have a plan, Darcy Paige Lewis. It’s to spend my life with you.” and he kissed her knuckle with a cheesy, genuine grin. "And Darce?"  
"Yeah?" she giggles  
"Thank you, for everything."


End file.
